Silent Witness to Governance
White spotted deer are seen on the grounds in front of Bogor Palace, West Java, Friday (28/4). The palace has been a silent witness to momentous events in the history of Indonesia’s development as a sovereign nation.
Introduction: After the initial editions on presidential palaces in Yogyakarta (Gedung Agung) and Bogor in early July, starting this week Kompas resumes its coverage of “palaces”. In this edition, Kompas offers coverage uncovering past events at the palaces in Bogor, Cipanas and Tampaksiring, from the administrations of Soekarno to President Joko Widodo. Through numerous events, we can learn valuable lessons for Indonesia’s future.
Even though the Dutch empire had surrendered Buitenzorg Palace, now known as Bogor Palace, to the Indonesian government in 1949, Soekarno only began officially using the palace one year later. The 28.4-hectare palace complex was witness to the Five-State Conference, the predecessor of the Asian-African Conference, and the transfer of power from Soekarno to Soeharto.
The Amarta Pavilion is where President Soekarno received three high-ranking Army officers on Friday afternoon, March 11, 1966, just a few hours after he left the Revised Dwikora Cabinet meeting, also known as the 100 Ministers Cabinet, at the State Palace in Jakarta. Head of household and protocol Endang Sasmita at Bogor Palace, in an interview at the palace in late April, said that the pavilion always reminded people of the transfer of power through the issuance of the March 11 Presidential Executive Order (Supersemar).
Amarta is one of five pavilions established in 1954under Soekarno’s instruction. They are separated from the main building in the Presidential Palace compound in Bogor. Soekarno then brought Hartini to live in the Amarta Pavilion, located adjacent to the main building. Arifin Suryo Nugroho, in his book Srihana-Srihani: Biografi Hartini Soekarno (biography of Hartini Soekarno), wrote that Hartini spent most of her days in the Amarta Pavilion.
On that Friday afternoon, President Soekarno received Maj. Gen. Basuki Rachmat, Brig. Gen. M Jusuf and Brig. Gen. Amirmachmud, who brought a message from Armed ForcesMinister/Commander Lieut. Gen. Soeharto. In Dalam Kontroversi Supersemar Dalam Transisi Kekuasaan Soekarno-Soeharto (the Supersemar controversy in the Soekarno-Soeharto transition of power), written by the Information Analysis Agency in 1998, Amirmachmud said that President Soekarno had just woken at the time.
The three then urged Soekarno to appoint Soeharto to mitigate the situation and to ensure the President’s personal safety as well as that of Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution and the state and country. President Soekarno then asked the three what resolutions they had in mind, to which Basuki reportedly responded, “Just order Pak Harto to do it.” The three then proposed that the President appoint Basuki to head the team to formulate the presidential order.
After dusk, President Soekarno, accompanied by Hartini and the three deputy ministers Subandrio, Chaerul Saleh and J Leimena, again met with the three Army officers. As revealed in Dasman Djamaludin’s Jenderal TNI Anumerta Basoeki Rachmat dan Supersemar (the late Gen. Basoeki Rachmat and Supersemar), Soekarno had doubts at first on signing the conceptual presidential order. Apart from rereading it over and over, he also crossed out several words he deemed inappropriate.
According to Hartini, Soekarno looked confused. He took deep breaths and frowned several times. Before signing the letter, Soekarno prayed. At night, with the three deputy ministers, three generals and Hartini as witnesses, President Soekarno finally signed the order (Kompas, 10/9/1998). It orders Soeharto to take action to ensure safety, security and stability, as well as the personal safety and authority of President Soekarno.
Despite the continuing debate on Supersemar, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) historian Asvi Warman Adam said the Supersemar signified the transfer of power from Soekarno to Soeharto. “The transfer of power from Bung Karno to Soeharto was determined by Supersemar,” he told Kompas.
Before the Supersemar was signed, the Bogor Palace had been the site of a demonstration. In Menyibak Tabir Orde Baru: Memoar Politik Indonesia 1965-1998 (Kompas, 2012; Shades of Grey: A Political Memoir of Modern Indonesia 1965-1998, Equinox, 2012), Jusuf Wanandi wrote that university students continued to hold protests amid the fasting month. Under the heavy rains that drenched Bogor through those days, the students demanded the disbandment of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), a price decrease and a cabinet reshuffle.
Tritura
Before signing the Supersemar, Soekarno tried to engage the college students in dialog. In the Garuda Room of the Bogor Palace in late February 1966, 10 student representatives were invited to join a cabinet meeting. Sofjan Wanandi, who chaired the presidium of the Jakarta branch of the Indonesian Students Action Forum (KAMI) in 1966, said during a mid-July interview in Jakarta that the students issued the People’s Three Demands (Tritura) to disband the PKI, reshuffle the Dwikora Cabinet and reduce prices.
Student protests continued as Soeharto attempted to restore national security under President Soekarno’s Supersemar mandate.
On Sunday, March 12, 1967, at 1:31 p.m., Provisional People’s Consultative Assembly (MPRS) chair Gen. Abdul Haris Nasution officially ended Soekarno’s presidency in eight MPRS special sessions (Kompas, 13/3/1967). The resulting provision, officially MPRS Provision No. XXXIII/MPRS/1967, also appointed Gen. Soeharto as acting president until the election of a new president by aPeople’s Consultative Assembly established through a general election.
However, the MPRS inaugurated Soeharto as president only at its fifth general session on Wednesday, March 27, 1968 at 10:15 p.m. (Kompas, 28/3/1968). The event marked the end of the Old Order and the beginning of the New Order.
During his presidency, Soeharto ordered the construction of the BinaGraha building as his office in Jakarta’sPresidential Palace complex. As for his residence, Soeharto decided to keep living at his private residence on Jl. Cendana in Menteng, Central Jakarta. The Presidential Palace was only used for ceremonial and state events.
The Bogor Palace is 14,892 square meters with a main building comprising the front terrace, the Teratai Room, the Kaca Seribu Room, the Garuda Room, the Dining Room, the Salon, the King’s Room, the Film Room, the Supersemar Room and the Five-State Conference Room. There is also the Right Wing, comprising a dining room and a bedroom, as well as the Left Wing.
One of the most phenomenal events that took place at Bogor Palace during Soeharto’s 32-year presidency was the Economic Leaders Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) on Tuesday, November 15, 1994.
Eighteen economic leaders and members of APEC gathered at Bogor Palace to discuss efforts to improve economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region in anticipation of economic developments in the 21st century (Kompas, 15/11/1994). The meeting, which was attended by US President Bill Clinton, produced the Bogor Declaration.
For the umpteenth time, Bogor Palace was a silent witness to the history of the struggles and the development of Indonesia, both regionally and internationally. Following Soekarno’s success in holding the Five-State Conference, Soeharto hosted a meeting of APEC Economic Leaders in Bogor Palace’s Garuda Room.
Green and beautiful
Twelve years later, President Soesilo Bambang Yudhoyono received US President George W Bush during a state visit at Bogor Palace on November 20, 2006. As he arrived at the palace, President Bush hopped down from the bulletproof SUV car and warmly shook President Yudhoyono’s hands. The visit lasted six hours.
The beautiful landscape of the Bogor Palace complex, built under the order of Dutch Indies governor-general GW Baron van Imhoff in 1745 and named Buitenzorg (problem-free), is made even more so by the Bogor Botanical Gardens. The garden has at least 15,000 trees and plants and is a resource for botanists from around the world.
After moving into Amarta Pavilion, Soekarno ordered the construction of the Dyah Bayurini Pavilion in 1964. The pavilion was completed after Soekarno was no longer president, and President Soeharto often brought his family to the pavilion on weekends.
The green environment of Bogor Palace is perfect for serious discussions and policy-making. President Joko Widodo acknowledged this and, a few months after he was inaugurated on October 20, 2014, he chose to reside in the Dyah Bayurini Pavilion that President Soekarno had ordered to be built in 1964.
This year, President Jokowi received three state guests at the palace: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud and Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf. The 44thUS President, Barack Obama,visited Bogor Palace on Friday (30/6/2017) to fulfill President Jokowi’s invitation. They ate bakso (meatball soup) at the Grand Garden Restaurant while enjoying the beautiful scenery of the Bogor Botanical Gardens.
President Jokowi said he decided to reside at Bogor Palace for its calm atmosphere and cool air, which helps him think clearly and make wise decisions for the nation-state.
“The air is fresher and cooler and the atmosphere is calmer. This helps me to think more clearly,” said President Jokowi.
Calm thinking is surely key to leading a government, especially in overcoming the welfare gap that has existed since the past.
